I love 24, I love Jack Bauer I despise torture. Whether it is for a vital purpose or for sport, I detest torture. I owe my inability to watch any of the dog fighting footage in the wake of the Vick arrest to my disaffection for torture and suffering. Consequently, I could never justify the actions of Michael Vick, they were not sport, they were not entertainment, they were pure torture.
When Vick was arrested there was an outcry from the inner cities and the rural south that dogfighting was a widely practiced acceptable part of the culture. The Vick case was instantly polarizing as it brought to the fore issues of race and class and the justice system as applied to celebrities, topics too tantalizing for the media to allow to pass without comment and exploitation. This lead to “shocking” exposes by many news organizations, usually during sweeps, outlining the atrocities and horrors visited upon these animals. Vick became the symbol of the evils visited upon the defenseless animals and was soon swept up in a wave of protesters, police and prosecutors all the while serving as fodder for mindless talk radio callers who posited that people who hurt people don’t go to jail, why should someone who injures an animal? That wave carried him from the Tobacco Roads of Virginia through the United States District Court to the Federal Penn in Leavenworth.
Upon finishing his sentence in Kansas and coming home to Virginia the Vick debate has raged. It is uncontroverted that he deserves a second chance because as we all know; America is all about second chances and comebacks. Just don’t tell that to Pee Wee Herman. The interesting debate is not whether he deserves a chance to play but rather if you were a team would you sign him.
It essentially boils down to the Deal or No Deal paradox, is the risk worth the reward. Certainly when he is healthy and fit three time Pro Bowler Vick will be able to contribute on the field at a high level. His skills are undeniable and unique, an elusive running quarterback with a rocket arm who has been successful in the playoffs. Don’t forget, he went into Lambeau and beat the Pack in the playoffs. He may even be that piece that can put a team over the top. But will the accompanying side show drain too much from the team to outweigh the talent surge?
Franchises are businesses; the NFL runs a successful business model when compared to other sports which is largely dependent on central, national television contracts to drive revenue. Each team, however, relies on sponsorships and advertising to augment the television money. Since 9/11 and Katrina each team has learned the importance of weaving themselves within the fabric of the community and made a more significant push by performing outreach activities and partnering with local charities. Teams legitimately worried that signing Vick would both detract from the bottom line and fray the ties woven by their community efforts. Protestors surely would line up, sponsors may drop out and there is no adequate method of measuring the potential negative impact the signing may have.
Regardless of the potential for disaster if you are a team that is a move or so away from being in contention for the Super Bowl you have to pull the trigger on the deal, the risk of negative publicity is clearly trumped by the athletic rewards. The Eagles are a perfect landing spot for Vick and he is the perfect addition for them. They will provide structure, leadership and an opportunity to prove himself under the glare of bright, hot lights. He provides the Eagles with a dynamic athlete who they can use in a multitude of ways and who could be the difference in close games.
He makes sense for the Eagles and vice versa because they don’t need him. They will most likely have to play at least a quarter of the season without him and when he returns he will be used in targeted packages designed to maximize his abilities. Had he gone to a team like Minnesota or the 49ers, while he would have had the structural integrity from the organization, the pressure to play right away and battle for the starting quarterback job would not have imbued benefits to Vick or the team. Allow him to reacclimate without pressure and unleash him on the league in manageable doses. Meanwhile he will have time to begin to repair his standing in the community through credible, targeted actions.
Most of Vick’s dogs have gotten their second chance and been rescued either into new homes or at dog sanctuaries where they can live out the rest of their lives without revisiting the pain and horrors inflicted on them and their brethren. Micheal Vick now embarks on his second chance, he must take heed because there won’t be a third.
Showing posts with label Michael Vick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michael Vick. Show all posts
Friday, August 14, 2009
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Big East Preview and a brief preview of something called the mountain west
I have been assigned the Big East Conference Preview. The Big East is difficult for me because of my Rutgers bias but I will do my best.
The BIG EAST is special because of its star power. There are 4 legit Heisman candidates and one in waiting. It is probably the most wide open of the BCS but don't mistake that uncertainty for weakness. The BIG EAST boasts three of the top 15 teams in the nation and any of them could be vying for the national title with the right breaks along the way. Don't let the anti-east bias fool you, the BIG EAST has consistently beaten top BCS teams during the season and has a superb bowl record since the exodus of Miami, BC and Va Tech. Commissioner Tranghese and the member ADs should be commended for their deft selections of USF, Cincy, and Louisville. The influx of these schools coupled with the awakening of the sleeping giant known as Rutgers has served to transform an afterthought into a formidable league deserving of its BCS automatic bid.
On to the teams:
The inconsequential
Syracuse - Greg Robinson is on the hot seat at the helm of maybe the worst Syracuse era of my lifetime. The Orange have lost their recruiting base in NJ and seen Orange targets Ray Rice, Courtney Greene and Brian Leonard transform Rutgers into a force to be reckoned with. Robinson will depend on the qb Andrew Robinson to develop quickly otherwise Daryl Gross may not be very patient and change course
UConn - Nothing in sports makes me happier than seeing the Mets lose. Second on that list is seeing the Huskies lose. I can't stand UConn, I hate their campus, I hate their school, I even hate their entire state. Randy Edsall deserves a lot of credit for delivering UConn into 1A football and taking them to a bowl with the likes of Dan Orlofsky. Unfortunately for him, he has not been able to sustain that success and faces The Huskies have a chance to emerge from the doldrums of last season on the back of Donald Brown, a big bruising back from NJ who torched Rutgers and Pittsburgh. UConn has also pinned its hopes to JUCO All American QB Tyler Lorenzen, and to save you a few minutes on Google he is no relation to the hefty lefty and future starter for the NY Giants Jared Lorenzen. UConn has a chance to get rolling opening up with Duke Maine and Temple.
Trap Games
Pittsburgh - Pitt is a tough read. They lose their top offensive player in Tyler Palko and top defensive player in HB Blades as well as top special teams player Darrelle Revis. They also lost their top returning wide receiver Derek Kinder to an injury in camp. These losses will thrust Lesean McCoy a true frosh and former Miami commit at RB into the spotlight. The best receiver they return is Teaneck's own Odderrick Turner, son of former Giant Odessa Turner. Wannestadt has done an excellent job recruiting and will return Pitt to prominence but they are most likely a year away.
Cinncinnati - Rutgers learned last year that Cincy is no push over. With an easy out of conference schedule, a new QB transferred in from Wake and an All Big East Defensive Tackle Terrill Byrd, a mediocre season which can be used by Brian Kelly to jump to the Big Ten is not out of the realm of possibilities. Note that they have both Louisville and WVU at home.
The Comer
South Florida - Don't hold the school's apparent inability to read a map (USF is in Tampa, nowhere near the south of florida) against them. They are for real. Jim Leavitt has built a rock solid program from the ground up and in ten years has his team positioned to enter the top 25 and stay. He boasts a future Heisman candidate at Quarterback Matt Grothe and the best secondary in maybe the nation lead by Trae Williams. This is a team that in the past two years beat Louisville and West Virginia and last year came within a 2 pt conversion of sending the Rutgers game into overtime. This team may suffer from being on everyone's sleeper list, but if they are able to make good on their promise the BIG EAST is solidified as a true power conference. They will be tested early on as they travel to Auburn in week 2.
BCS Worthy
West Virginia - Top 5 Talent and a Top 5 coach. Rich Rodriguez is one of the top coaches in the land and is finally receiving his due after his flirtation with the Crimson Tide. WVU boasts two legitimate Heisman candidates in RB Steve Slaton and QB Pat White. The Mountaineers are buoyed by their spread offense and immense speed. They can run and score with anyone inthe country and have high powered Noel Devine entering the backfield. They lost All American Center Dan Mozes to graduation and the key will be how easily he is replaced and the line is fortified. The key will be how strong the defense is and can they weather a rematch of last years triple overtime game vs. Rutgers in Piscataway.
Louisville - The Ville boast a Heisman caliber quarterback and an arsenal of weapons on both sides of the ball including two huge and talented receivers in Harry Douglas and Marco Urrutia which helped the Ville to a top 5 ranking nationally in several team offensive categories. Bobby Petrino did anything but leave the cupboard bare for Steve Kragthorpe who showed his recruiting skills by getting Matt Simms to keep his commitment and convincing Brian Brohm to stay for one more year. They should coast through an easy first 9 games before going on the road to play WVU and USF then a final matchup at home with Rutgers. .
Rutgers - the Cinderella story, the darlings of the nation, all the sudden NY media's favorite team to cover. This past weekend 3 separate NY stations ran Rutgers preview shows. Rutgers has recently signed a deal with MSG for a plethora of cross promotional activities, a clear sign of how far The State Univ of NJ has come. Now they have to back it up between the lines. Don't be suckered into the theory that last year was a fluke. Schiano has been building to this point for several years. Last year was their second straight bowl appearance and they are in line for a third and a possible BCS bowl bid. last year they were a poor officiating call or an end zone drop or a 53 yd FG away from the BCS and a matchup in Tampa. Were they disappointed? yes but the the squad showed deft maturity in easily dispatching Kansas State in the inaugural Texas Bowl. This year's team returns several all american candidates including DT Eric Foster, K Jeremy Ito, S Courtney Greene (potentially the highest draft pick on the team), 2 NFL Tackles in Jeremy Zuttah and Pedro Sosa and a heisman candidate running back Ray Rice. The maturation of Mike Teel at the end of 2006 is a harbinger of the potential success of the offense this year. Teel will be equipped with significant weapons at the receiver spot to keep defenses honest. Look for a breakout year from Kenny Britt a 6'4" receiver who made noise first vs. Louisville and has shown a penchant for making big catches. He is complemented by 5'9" Tim Brown with blazing 4.3 speed who provides a deep threat just ask WVU and K State. The question marks on this team are Middle Linebacker, Tight End and Secondary depth. Rutgers graduated 2/3 of its linebacking corps. It relies on a defense that is predicated on reads and swarming reaction lead by the Mike linebacker. Rutgers thought it had its man in Ryan D'Imperio but a broken leg will sideline him for at least the first few weeks. With the graduation of its top two TEs, a school who has graduated several to the NFL is now without an experienced TE. It shouldn't effect the passing game but may stifle the run game especially when teams load up in the box to stop Rice. Expect this team to get on a roll but don't overlook games against Maryland and South Florida early in the season. The Maryland game will be a good barometer for the season ahead.
Mountain West - If anyone can post all the teams in the Mountain West I will do a preview. Must do so w/o cheating and looking it up. Briefly, the Air Force and BYU are down this year as BYU graduated its QB and is waiting for the offspring of Jim McMahon, Steve Young or any of the Detmers to be of college age and the Air Force is still adjusting to the post Fisher DeBarry era. On a side note, I wonder if it is harder for the academies to recruit while the war is going on. Everything I have read says take the Horned Frogs of TCU. So I will do that, plus they are the Horned Frogs.
On a final note Andy Pettitte is a straight up MENSCH, I hope he gets the recognition he deserves. Not sure if the Yanks make the postseason but Brian Cashman deserves a tremendous amount of credit. Here is a guy whose job is clearly on the line and he has still endeavored to take the best long term approach for his team rather than gambling everything on this year. He can run my team anytime.
If you haven't, go see the new Bourne movie, its the best of the action sequels of the summer and may be the best movie I've seen this summer.
A quick Mike Vick note
Here is the thing with Vick. I did not buy his apology at all. My major qualm was his use of the word immature. He did not condemn his acts as vile, despicable, grotesque but claimed they were immature. The use of the word immature leads you to believe that its just a phase he will grow out of. I would have liked to see him apologize to all of the animals he destroyed and maimed and all of the ones who will be euthanized due to his behavior. While both crimes, I think the comparisons to Leonard Little are clearly off base. What Leonard Little did was clearly more morally reprehensible, however, it was not a carefully crafted plan executed to perfection. Little made a mistake, paid his debt to society and the NFL. Vick planned to establish a dog fighting kennel, established a dog fighting kennel and performed horrific acts upon the dogs for years, not one night. Maybe Little should have or should still receive a harsher punishment than he has, but that does not mean Vick should be treated with more leniency.
The BIG EAST is special because of its star power. There are 4 legit Heisman candidates and one in waiting. It is probably the most wide open of the BCS but don't mistake that uncertainty for weakness. The BIG EAST boasts three of the top 15 teams in the nation and any of them could be vying for the national title with the right breaks along the way. Don't let the anti-east bias fool you, the BIG EAST has consistently beaten top BCS teams during the season and has a superb bowl record since the exodus of Miami, BC and Va Tech. Commissioner Tranghese and the member ADs should be commended for their deft selections of USF, Cincy, and Louisville. The influx of these schools coupled with the awakening of the sleeping giant known as Rutgers has served to transform an afterthought into a formidable league deserving of its BCS automatic bid.
On to the teams:
The inconsequential
Syracuse - Greg Robinson is on the hot seat at the helm of maybe the worst Syracuse era of my lifetime. The Orange have lost their recruiting base in NJ and seen Orange targets Ray Rice, Courtney Greene and Brian Leonard transform Rutgers into a force to be reckoned with. Robinson will depend on the qb Andrew Robinson to develop quickly otherwise Daryl Gross may not be very patient and change course
UConn - Nothing in sports makes me happier than seeing the Mets lose. Second on that list is seeing the Huskies lose. I can't stand UConn, I hate their campus, I hate their school, I even hate their entire state. Randy Edsall deserves a lot of credit for delivering UConn into 1A football and taking them to a bowl with the likes of Dan Orlofsky. Unfortunately for him, he has not been able to sustain that success and faces The Huskies have a chance to emerge from the doldrums of last season on the back of Donald Brown, a big bruising back from NJ who torched Rutgers and Pittsburgh. UConn has also pinned its hopes to JUCO All American QB Tyler Lorenzen, and to save you a few minutes on Google he is no relation to the hefty lefty and future starter for the NY Giants Jared Lorenzen. UConn has a chance to get rolling opening up with Duke Maine and Temple.
Trap Games
Pittsburgh - Pitt is a tough read. They lose their top offensive player in Tyler Palko and top defensive player in HB Blades as well as top special teams player Darrelle Revis. They also lost their top returning wide receiver Derek Kinder to an injury in camp. These losses will thrust Lesean McCoy a true frosh and former Miami commit at RB into the spotlight. The best receiver they return is Teaneck's own Odderrick Turner, son of former Giant Odessa Turner. Wannestadt has done an excellent job recruiting and will return Pitt to prominence but they are most likely a year away.
Cinncinnati - Rutgers learned last year that Cincy is no push over. With an easy out of conference schedule, a new QB transferred in from Wake and an All Big East Defensive Tackle Terrill Byrd, a mediocre season which can be used by Brian Kelly to jump to the Big Ten is not out of the realm of possibilities. Note that they have both Louisville and WVU at home.
The Comer
South Florida - Don't hold the school's apparent inability to read a map (USF is in Tampa, nowhere near the south of florida) against them. They are for real. Jim Leavitt has built a rock solid program from the ground up and in ten years has his team positioned to enter the top 25 and stay. He boasts a future Heisman candidate at Quarterback Matt Grothe and the best secondary in maybe the nation lead by Trae Williams. This is a team that in the past two years beat Louisville and West Virginia and last year came within a 2 pt conversion of sending the Rutgers game into overtime. This team may suffer from being on everyone's sleeper list, but if they are able to make good on their promise the BIG EAST is solidified as a true power conference. They will be tested early on as they travel to Auburn in week 2.
BCS Worthy
West Virginia - Top 5 Talent and a Top 5 coach. Rich Rodriguez is one of the top coaches in the land and is finally receiving his due after his flirtation with the Crimson Tide. WVU boasts two legitimate Heisman candidates in RB Steve Slaton and QB Pat White. The Mountaineers are buoyed by their spread offense and immense speed. They can run and score with anyone inthe country and have high powered Noel Devine entering the backfield. They lost All American Center Dan Mozes to graduation and the key will be how easily he is replaced and the line is fortified. The key will be how strong the defense is and can they weather a rematch of last years triple overtime game vs. Rutgers in Piscataway.
Louisville - The Ville boast a Heisman caliber quarterback and an arsenal of weapons on both sides of the ball including two huge and talented receivers in Harry Douglas and Marco Urrutia which helped the Ville to a top 5 ranking nationally in several team offensive categories. Bobby Petrino did anything but leave the cupboard bare for Steve Kragthorpe who showed his recruiting skills by getting Matt Simms to keep his commitment and convincing Brian Brohm to stay for one more year. They should coast through an easy first 9 games before going on the road to play WVU and USF then a final matchup at home with Rutgers. .
Rutgers - the Cinderella story, the darlings of the nation, all the sudden NY media's favorite team to cover. This past weekend 3 separate NY stations ran Rutgers preview shows. Rutgers has recently signed a deal with MSG for a plethora of cross promotional activities, a clear sign of how far The State Univ of NJ has come. Now they have to back it up between the lines. Don't be suckered into the theory that last year was a fluke. Schiano has been building to this point for several years. Last year was their second straight bowl appearance and they are in line for a third and a possible BCS bowl bid. last year they were a poor officiating call or an end zone drop or a 53 yd FG away from the BCS and a matchup in Tampa. Were they disappointed? yes but the the squad showed deft maturity in easily dispatching Kansas State in the inaugural Texas Bowl. This year's team returns several all american candidates including DT Eric Foster, K Jeremy Ito, S Courtney Greene (potentially the highest draft pick on the team), 2 NFL Tackles in Jeremy Zuttah and Pedro Sosa and a heisman candidate running back Ray Rice. The maturation of Mike Teel at the end of 2006 is a harbinger of the potential success of the offense this year. Teel will be equipped with significant weapons at the receiver spot to keep defenses honest. Look for a breakout year from Kenny Britt a 6'4" receiver who made noise first vs. Louisville and has shown a penchant for making big catches. He is complemented by 5'9" Tim Brown with blazing 4.3 speed who provides a deep threat just ask WVU and K State. The question marks on this team are Middle Linebacker, Tight End and Secondary depth. Rutgers graduated 2/3 of its linebacking corps. It relies on a defense that is predicated on reads and swarming reaction lead by the Mike linebacker. Rutgers thought it had its man in Ryan D'Imperio but a broken leg will sideline him for at least the first few weeks. With the graduation of its top two TEs, a school who has graduated several to the NFL is now without an experienced TE. It shouldn't effect the passing game but may stifle the run game especially when teams load up in the box to stop Rice. Expect this team to get on a roll but don't overlook games against Maryland and South Florida early in the season. The Maryland game will be a good barometer for the season ahead.
Mountain West - If anyone can post all the teams in the Mountain West I will do a preview. Must do so w/o cheating and looking it up. Briefly, the Air Force and BYU are down this year as BYU graduated its QB and is waiting for the offspring of Jim McMahon, Steve Young or any of the Detmers to be of college age and the Air Force is still adjusting to the post Fisher DeBarry era. On a side note, I wonder if it is harder for the academies to recruit while the war is going on. Everything I have read says take the Horned Frogs of TCU. So I will do that, plus they are the Horned Frogs.
On a final note Andy Pettitte is a straight up MENSCH, I hope he gets the recognition he deserves. Not sure if the Yanks make the postseason but Brian Cashman deserves a tremendous amount of credit. Here is a guy whose job is clearly on the line and he has still endeavored to take the best long term approach for his team rather than gambling everything on this year. He can run my team anytime.
If you haven't, go see the new Bourne movie, its the best of the action sequels of the summer and may be the best movie I've seen this summer.
A quick Mike Vick note
Here is the thing with Vick. I did not buy his apology at all. My major qualm was his use of the word immature. He did not condemn his acts as vile, despicable, grotesque but claimed they were immature. The use of the word immature leads you to believe that its just a phase he will grow out of. I would have liked to see him apologize to all of the animals he destroyed and maimed and all of the ones who will be euthanized due to his behavior. While both crimes, I think the comparisons to Leonard Little are clearly off base. What Leonard Little did was clearly more morally reprehensible, however, it was not a carefully crafted plan executed to perfection. Little made a mistake, paid his debt to society and the NFL. Vick planned to establish a dog fighting kennel, established a dog fighting kennel and performed horrific acts upon the dogs for years, not one night. Maybe Little should have or should still receive a harsher punishment than he has, but that does not mean Vick should be treated with more leniency.
Friday, August 24, 2007
I'm just saying
OK, let me start by saying that Michael Vick needs to spend some time in a federal penitentiary somewhere for his actions.
Dog-fighting is illegal in all 48 states in the Union and I'm sure those Alaskans wouldn't look too kindly on it. Maybe on a far, far Hawaiian island you can get away with it, but not on the mainland.
The point is it's wrong, it's bad, it's against the law. That is not at debate.
Vick has pleaded guilty and will serve time, admitting to killing dogs in 'inhumane' ways like strangling, drowning and electrocution.
There's a voice over my ear reminding me that there are child molesters running free that get less air time than a superstar QB who's already gotten off with a obscene gesture to his Atlanta fans, that was caught with a bottle he shouldn't have had at the airport and according to his biological father, was deeply into dogfighting as a youth...
But I digress...
The main problem that America seems to have is with the video of dog fighting and after listening to Michael Wilbon on PTI on Friday afternoon, it's also the fact that he admitted to killing dogs.
Once again, I'm not saying he shouldn't do time or that what he did was OK, but where's the outcry for these 53 dogs that will be euthanized?
Yeah, I understand that because they've been trained to fight, they should be put to sleep, but the suggestion of the same animal rights groups who have picketed against Vick.
But here's my question: Since it seems to be OK to kill the dogs if you do it somewhat kindly, would Vick be in as much trouble if he used an alcohol pad and a needle?
Dog-fighting is illegal in all 48 states in the Union and I'm sure those Alaskans wouldn't look too kindly on it. Maybe on a far, far Hawaiian island you can get away with it, but not on the mainland.
The point is it's wrong, it's bad, it's against the law. That is not at debate.
Vick has pleaded guilty and will serve time, admitting to killing dogs in 'inhumane' ways like strangling, drowning and electrocution.
There's a voice over my ear reminding me that there are child molesters running free that get less air time than a superstar QB who's already gotten off with a obscene gesture to his Atlanta fans, that was caught with a bottle he shouldn't have had at the airport and according to his biological father, was deeply into dogfighting as a youth...
But I digress...
The main problem that America seems to have is with the video of dog fighting and after listening to Michael Wilbon on PTI on Friday afternoon, it's also the fact that he admitted to killing dogs.
Once again, I'm not saying he shouldn't do time or that what he did was OK, but where's the outcry for these 53 dogs that will be euthanized?
Yeah, I understand that because they've been trained to fight, they should be put to sleep, but the suggestion of the same animal rights groups who have picketed against Vick.
But here's my question: Since it seems to be OK to kill the dogs if you do it somewhat kindly, would Vick be in as much trouble if he used an alcohol pad and a needle?
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